


The Captive's Crown

by delicatelyglitterywriter



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicatelyglitterywriter/pseuds/delicatelyglitterywriter
Summary: All's well in Queen Daisy's fantastical kingdom, when an offer of alliance from King Malick turns sour





	1. The Council With the King

Queen Daisy was often quite busy, what with all the duties she had to attend to. So, it was rare that she got an afternoon to herself. It was even rarer that the weather was pleasant on a spare afternoon.

Today was one of those incredibly rare days where she had an afternoon to herself. It was mid-spring, and the sun was high in the sky, warming the entire kingdom like a dwarf-made blanket. Queen Daisy had decided that she wanted to read, even though she wasn’t particularly good at it. But that didn’t matter; she had all afternoon to lazily read her way through the book.

She was sitting on the balcony extending from the library. The chair was high enough for her to see the farmers in the distance, but low enough to hide the main bustle of the inner city, closer to the castle. The chair was also high enough for some sunlight to fall on her, but low enough that she wasn’t sitting directly in the sunlight. This was Queen Daisy’s favourite kind of afternoon, she decided with a contented sigh as she turned the page.

“Your majesty?” a voice requested from behind her. She turned her head to see her loyalist faun, Worbil, standing  a few feet away. She waved him forward, and he came to her.

“What is it, Worbil?” She hoped that it wasn’t anything that would require her to move; she really wanted to enjoy her afternoon doing nothing.

“It’s King Malick of Ruthenia, majesty,” the faun said. “He wishes to request council with you.”

“What for?” Queen Daisy asked. Several scenarios, none of them favouring her, ran through her head.

“He didn’t specify, majesty,” Worbil answered. “He did, however, promise that he wishes to speak to you on a matter of peace. He has no wishes to wage war on us, or capture us.”

Queen Daisy nodded thoughtfully, considering her options.

“Very well,” she said slowly. “Tell him that we accept. Set the council for three days from now at noon. That should give him enough time to get here.”

“Right away, majesty,” Worbil said, bowing and then exiting. Queen Daisy smiled to herself and got back to reading.

 

 

**_Three days later..._ **

“Majesty, King Malick of Ruthenia has arrived,” Worbil announced, hurrying into the ballroom, where the meeting was to be held. “He’s arrived with soldiers!”

Queen Daisy rose. “I thought you said he came in peace.”

“That’s what he said in his letter!” the faun cried. “Oh, majesty, what do we do?”

“Peace, Worbil,” Queen Daisy soothed him. “How many soldiers did he bring?”

“I’d estimate three hundred, majesty,” Worbil stuttered out, trying not to cry. Daisy put her arm around him to comfort him.

“Don’t cry, Worbil,” she said softly. “That’s only a small number of soldiers. Unless he is planning a siege - which I doubt - I suspect he would have brought them along for protection if I, or others along the journey, had plans to bring harm upon him. Although, if that is the case, I wonder why he’d bring them all the way up to the walls of the city. It’s customary to have them wait a little way off.”

“What do we do, my Queen?” Worbil asked again, but in a much calmer voice, having collected himself.

“Gather up four hundred of our own soldiers,” Queen Daisy said, stepping away from Worbil, and smoothing her dress. “We will meet him at the gate.”

 

 

**_A little while later..._ **

Queen Daisy halted her stallion a few feet from King Malick. He smiled at her in greeting.

“Good day to you, Queen Daisy.”

“A day it is, yes,” Queen Daisy agreed coldly. “Although what kind of day it is has yet to be determined.”

“I don’t understand what your majesty is trying to say,” King Malick said.

“You claim you come peacefully,” Queen Daisy answered. “And yet, you bring three hundred armed soldiers to the gates of my city. Why?”

“I’m sure your majesty can understand,” said he. “That I brought them along for the journey, to protect me, lest an enemy jump from the bushes and attack me.”

“I do understand, yes,” Queen Daisy answered as her Stallion stomped her hoof. “What I fail to understand is why you brought them up to the city. It is customary to have them camp a little ways away.”

King Malick’s face changed expressions as he understood her concerns.

“My dear Queen, I do apologise for worrying you,” King Malick apologised, throwing in a bow for good measure. “I have brought them up to your city as a peace offering. See, their swords lay at their feet.”

Queen Daisy looked, and indeed, as the king said, the soldiers had placed their swords on the ground at their feet. She raised her eyebrows.

“Is there any reason for this unusual gesture, sir?” she asked. The king simply smiled at her.

“It shall make sense in council,” he answered. Queen Daisy’s lips tilted into a slight smile.

“Worbil,” she said, turning to her faun. “Take these men to the dining room, and make sure they are well-fed. I’m sure it’s been a long journey.”

“But majesty, and do pardon me, King Malick, but suppose they aren’t, well, peaceful?” he asked. “What shall be done then?”

Queen Daisy glanced at the king. “Use whatever force necessary to protect the safety of the people and the dignity of the castle.”

“Yes, your majesty, very good, your majesty,” Worbil said with a bow, stepping back.

“King Malick, come,” Queen Daisy said as Worbil began giving instructions to the centaurs with them. “I’ll show you the way to my castle.”

King Malick got back on his white horse and followed Queen Daisy through the city, to the castle. There, another faun took his horse from him and he watched as it was led to the stables. He then followed the queen inside, to the ballroom, where she had said they would have the meeting.

There, he sat down on the side of the lesser side of the table, and she sat on the better side of the table. There were four centaurs standing a little way away from the table, aligned diagonally with the corners. Kind Malick had to appreciate the aesthetic of their stance.

“Now, King Malick,” Queen Daisy said. “What is the matter you wishes to discuss with me?”

“Yes, Queen Daisy, I have come today to ask whether you would join with us,” he answered. Queen Daisy raised her eyebrows again, and then leaned back a little bit.

“Beg pardon, sir, but what do you mean by ‘join with you’?”

“I mean, majesty,” he clarified. “That I think it would be mutually beneficial if our kingdoms joined forces. You join us, we join you...which ever phrasing tastes sweet in your mouth.”

Queen Daisy twirled a strand of her hair absent-mindedly; she often did this when she was thinking. After about a minute, she spoke again.

“Why, sir, do you think it would beneficial for us to join forces?” she asked.

“Well, both our kingdoms are relatively small, majesty,” he answered. “So it would increase size, and therefore security. Thus, we could all better defend ourselves in times of attack. Additionally, you have some resources we don’t have, and we have some you don’t have, and so if we were to join, our people would be allowed to flourish. Further, with a larger kingdom, it would be easier to conquer and expand.”

Once his point had been made, he leaned back like Queen Daisy, looking quite smug. Queen Daisy had to admit he had some pretty good arguments. It did sound like an appealing offer. But she wondered if it was worth it. After all, her people were quite strong, and doing well as far as agriculture and economy.

“But, sir,” she said. “Your city is three days away. How would governance of the new kingdom work? We could send messages back and forth, but that would be inefficient, and frankly, leaves room for miscommunication. Especially if there is a matter we don’t agree on.”

“You do make a good point, majesty,” he said. “But I have, well actually, my queen thought of it, that we build a new city halfway between these two. She suggested, and I agree with her, that we have a new castle at this midpoint where we either all live, or a lesser castle where we meet to make decisions about governance.”

Queen Daisy nodded, appreciating the thought that had gone into his proposal. A new castle would be a magnificent idea. She could move in there with King Malick and his queen. Then, she could leave a sub-branch of governance at this castle to oversee the city. She twirled her hair again.

“Supposing, my king, that I were to refuse your offer,” she said. “What would to happen then? What would you do?”

Queen Daisy wasn’t quite sure what compelled her to say it. Perhaps it was insurance that he really was a peaceful man, or perhaps it was a question of loyalty, or perhaps even to test his motives.

“I’m not sure, majesty,” he answered, fingering one of the grape stalks on the table. Queen Daisy’s eyes snapped between his fingers, his face, and Trinkin, her largest centaur. He caught her eye and slowly drew his sword. “I might go in search of another kingdom to join with. Or, I could take you by force.”

At this, his eyes met her, and Queen Daisy was on her feet in a second, Trinkin and Driblin lunging forward to grab hold of the king.

“Take him down to the guest room and make sure to guard him with your lives,” Queen Daisy commanded them. “Linet and Marfid, you’re with me. Come.”

She marched out of the ballroom and to the dining room first, Linet and Marfid trotting behind her. She drew her sword as she entered, only to find a bloodbath. About half of the soldiers were dead on the floor, the other half bound tightly with rope against the wall. Worbil was seated, and Vint the mouse was bandaging him up.

“Are you alright, Worbil?” Daisy asked, kneeling down beside him.

“Just a little bit scratched up, majesty,” he answered. “Vint can take care of me.”

Queen Daisy nodded and turned to Vint. “Once he’s bandaged up, you two go and hide.”

“As you please, your majesty,” the mouse answered. He knew what the queen meant, that this could go either way and that she wanted them to be safe, but Worbil was quite new to all of this, and so neither he nor the queen said anything, as to avoid scaring him.

Queen Daisy then turned and left the room, hurrying back up the stairs to the library. She exited onto the balcony and saw the city at war. Most of the civilians seemed to be safely off to the sides, which was good. But there were many dead or wounded bodies scattered around. Too many of them were from her side.

“What are your orders, my queen?” Marfid asked. Queen Daisy didn’t answer immediately, instead looking up to the hills. What she saw is what she feared: there were at least two more waves of soldiers, some on horseback, some on foot, waiting to descend on the city at the right time. There was no way she had enough soldiers to fight them off.

“Get all the civilians to the edge of the city, out the gates if you can,” she said finally. “Just keep them away from harm.”

“Where shall you go, majesty?” Linet asked.

“To take care of this,” Queen Daisy answered, turning on her heel and marching past the centaurs. She immediately went to her room and sat down, taking deep breaths.

What was she supposed to do? Keep fighting and just hope that her soldiers were skilled enough to kill enough of them that they surrendered? But that would mean taking the risk of having innocent creatures being killed. Was she supposed to surrender and protect her people? But that would mean handing power over to a king whom she knew very little about. Would he be cruel, or kind?

Daisy tapped her fingers rapidly, wishing there was a third option. She could try getting everyone out, but then she ran the risk of the soldiers outside killing them. She was outnumbered, outskilled, outsmarted. Daisy lifted the crown off her head and looked at it, remembering her coronation day. It had been a joyous time, and the start of the happiest days of her life.

And now...now the stupid crown represented a burden that a single person should never have to bear alone. As this thought passed through her head, Daisy finally knew what she had to do.

Slowly, she stood to her feet, and walked out into the hall, still clutching her crown in her hand. She walked solemnly, but not slowly, until she reached the guest room.

Queen Daisy entered, the centaurs in tow. King Malick smirked at her when she entered.

“Queen Daisy,” he drawled. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Stop,” she said, putting her crown on the table. King Malick raised his eyebrows.

“Stop?”

“Stop,” Queen Daisy repeated. Behind her, Trinkin leaned in towards her.

“Are you sure, your majesty?” he asked softly.

“It’s the only way,” she said back to him. She felt him nod, and a moment later, she heard the _thud, thud_ , of swords landing on the soft carpet.

“Go,” the queen commanded. “Tell the soldiers and people what’s happening.”

The centaurs did as they were told, walking as solemnly as she did.

“Excellent,” King Malick said with a sickening grin. Then he raised his voice and called for two of his soldiers, “Garrett! Ward!”

Queen Daisy drew in a short breath at Ward’s name. She had dealt with him before, and it was not at all pleasant. She repressed a shudder when he entered.

“Escort the queen to her room, “King Malick ordered. “Guard her. Make sure she doesn’t get out.”

“As you please, sire,” Ward said, stepping towards Daisy. “Come, queen, let’s go.”

He reached out to grab her arm, but she drew back.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking there myself,” Queen Daisy said sharply. She turned and left, Garrett and Ward keeping up with her by her side to ensure she didn’t attempt to go anywhere but where King Malick had ordered. Once at her room, she went inside without hesitation, only turning around when she heard a soft thud on her carpet. The door slammed shut before she could even see what it was.

It turned out that it was her crown. How awfully sweet that the king would let her keep it. She sighed and set it on her desk, and then went and lay down on her bed, only to get up a few seconds later and go out onto the balcony extending from her bedroom. Down below in the city, she saw her people surrendering, just as she had ordered.

She swallowed, hating to see such defeat, but she knew that it had to happen. That was the worst part of being a monarch, she thought. The times of defeat.

At least her people were alive. That was all that mattered right now. They may not be fully safe under Malick, but they were _alive_. She could work on the safe bit later.

She turned her head a little to the right, to see the centaurs, fauns, and the other castle staff moving the bodies of the dead out of the way for proper burial later. At least Malick had agreed to let them honour tradition.

After watching a few moments, Daisy went back inside. It was too saddening to look at for too long. She picked up the book that she had been reading from three days prior and opened it. If she was to be stuck here in her room, with heartbreak all around outside, perhaps her book could provide the escape she longed for.


	2. The Brave Faun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bravery can sometimes get you into trouble, and the queen finally realises the weight of the situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warning:** reference to violence against a child

**_A few hours later…_ **

Daisy had moved from her bed to her couch, deciding that it was more comfortable to read there. She looked up from her book when the door opened, and she sighed softly to herself when Ward entered, Garrett in tow.

“Majesty,” Garrett said with an over dramatic bow. Ward didn’t bother mocking her, which she was grateful for. Although, she did notice him subtly reach across his abdomen and rub his forearm, and a smile ghosted her lips. That was the place where the whip had nicked him the last time he was here.

It had been very amusing to see him in the wrong place at the wrong time. It had been a stupid escape attempt.

“What do you want?” Daisy asked, having no patience for formalities. 

“The king wishes to speak to you, highness,” Ward said seriously, no hint of mockery in his tone. Daisy appreciated that he was respectful enough to not mock her. Quietly, she stood to her feet, and went with Malick’s men to the throne room, where he was sitting on her throne. She bit back on her reaction, knowing that technically he had the right to sit there now that she’d surrendered.

She stopped in the middle of the room, folding her hands in front of her, not saying a word. 

“My queen, how gracious of you to join me,” King Malick greeted.

“I was not exactly given a choice, King Malick,” she responded drily. “Why did you wish to speak to me?”

“One of yours is not being cooperative,” he said, waving his hand for the troublemaker to be brought in. Daisy’s heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Worbil. “I was hoping you could talk some sense into him.”

“Queen Daisy, my queen!” Worbil cried, throwing himself at her feet. Daisy would have preferred to do this in private, but she could manage here. She thought that Malick would want to make sure she didn’t formulate any resistance plans. 

“Worbil,” she said soothingly, dropping to her knees and lifting his chin with a gentle hand. “What did you do? I gave my command.”

“I know, majesty,” the faun said mournfully. “And I did honour it, I swear I did!”

“I don’t think they’d have brought you here if you had,” she reprimanded. Worbil pulled his head back and sat up, looking into her eyes.

“But I  _ did _ , your majesty! I only hit them when they were hurting a little lad for blubbering! He was only a wee little one, and it wasn’t his fault that he was scared! I had to do something!”

Daisy nodded slowly, anger flaring up inside of her. But she held tight to it, not allowing it to get out of control for even a second. 

“Oh, brave Worbil,” she murmured, giving him a special scratch behind his ears. “Refrain from using violence. If you must, step in and take the blows for the boy. Violence will only bring destruction to this already delicate situation.”

“As you say, my most gracious queen,” Worbil agreed, bowing with his head to the ground. Daisy didn’t move as Worbil was hauled to his feet and marched out again. She took a breath and then stood up, facing the king with a firm frown on her face.

“I have already surrendered to you. Why do you continue to harm my people?”

“The boy clearly needs a lesson in toughening up,” the king said coolly, dismissing her concerns with a wave of his hand. Anger flashed through Daisy’s eyes. 

“He’s only a child,” Daisy said, barely keeping her temper in check. “And just because you sit on that throne,  _ sir _ , does not give you the right to abuse innocent people.”

“You watch your tongue,” the king warned, his eyes growing angry also. “Or I’ll have it chopped out. They’re my people now, and I’ll treat them how I please. I’m doing the child a favour.”

“They’re not your people,” Daisy snapped, her patience finally running out. She stormed forward. “They’re your  _ prisoners _ .”

“Enough!” the king bellowed, rising from the throne. “Take her out of here.”

Ward and Garrett stepped in, blocking her path to the king. She attempted to push past them, but they each grabbed one of her arms and forcefully removed her from the room and marched her back to her room. They didn’t let go until she was inside, and the door again slammed shut and locked. 

Daisy stood, drew in a deep breath through her nose, tilted her head back and exhaled through her mouth. She’d surrendered to the king to save her people from harm, but had ended up handing them over to a tyrant. She sunk down to the floor, her back against the door, and buried her head in her hands.

She no longer felt like the powerful and kind queen she had been only hours before. She now felt like the scared and helpless little girl she had been the day her parents had died. She didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what she  _ could _ do; she felt completely helpless and hopeless. 

A tear slid out of her right eye, and she swiped it away with her hand. But it didn’t do any good, because immediately after another tear fell. 

And so Daisy wept bitterly. 


	3. The Brilliant Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queen comforts her people and formulates a plan to save them

**_The next day..._ **

Queen Daisy awoke feeling incredibly well-rested, and she smiled to herself. She wondered what she’d do today. Maybe go and play with the little creatures in their game of-

Her face fell as all the events of yesterday came back to her. She sighed and rolled over, feeling saddened once more. At least she didn’t have to get out of bed; that was just about the only bonus of being captured. 

She froze as she heard the lock click and the door open. Whoever it was, she didn’t want to deal with them. Footsteps came towards her, and she briefly wondered if she was about to violated, though it was most likely a servant, and so she had very little to worry about. Still, it would be one of the king’s, and so she couldn’t be sure. She tensed, but didn’t move. 

“Breakfast, majesty,” Ward’s voice said. This was followed by the sound of a tray being set on the bedside table. Ward then retreated and Daisy let out a long breath as the door closed and locked. She sat up and turned to see what the king had decided to feed her. 

He’d sent her two pieces of toast with a bowl of strawberry jam, a single sausage on the side, and a glass of orange juice. Daisy raised her eyebrows.

“Easy, sir, don’t spoil me,” she muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. But she ate the food anyway. Anything was better than nothing, she figured. 

After eating, she put on a dress, did her hair and then stepped outside onto the balcony. Things had seemed to settle down since yesterday, or maybe the people were just doing what they always did because they didn’t know what else to do. Either way, it was nice to see some normalcy down below.

The baker was selling bread, the farmers were feeding their animals, and children were leaving for school. The dogs wandered around the street and the birds chirped at each other atop the trees and houses. The sun was up, and giving the city a bright look, although Daisy could feel even from her room that the atmosphere was anything but.

Yes, the people were going on with their lives, but there was a sense of trepidation and gloominess. Daisy knew they were being very careful to not do anything that would upset the king, and so felt disheartened at the sudden lack of freedom. Even the dogs prowling around felt it too. Their ears were perked up and alert and they appeared to be tiptoeing around. The usual cheer was gone. 

Daisy was so focused on her city that she didn’t hear Ward enter.

“My queen,” he said loudly enough for her to hear, but not loudly enough to shout. Daisy whirled around in fright, hand subconsciously reaching for the place she always kept her dagger. But, of course, the king had taken away all her weapons. 

“What is it, Ward?” Daisy asked, composing herself and re-entering her room. 

“The king wishes to speak to you again, majesty,” Ward said, keeping his hands folded behind his back and his posture slightly bowed. Daisy repressed a sigh. 

“Very well.” She moved foward to go with Ward to speak with him, but he stood upright and blocked her path. She looked at him questioningly.

“I’m sorry, your highness,” Ward said. “But the king has requested that, erm, we bring you to him...restrained.”

“Restrained?” Daisy asked incredulously, raising her eyebrows at him. He looked down at his boots.

“Yes, highness,” he said. “He’s a bit...cautious of you after yesterday.”

Queen Daisy’s lips twitched upwards again. She was pleased that she’d been able to make the king nervous, worried even. 

She glanced over Ward, thinking. She thought that he’d make quite a good servant for her if she wasn’t captured by his king. He was, after all, very respectful. Garrett, on the other hand, wouldn’t be of any use to her. 

“Hands, queeny,” Garrett instructed. Queen Daisy took a quick breath, held it to soothe her temper, and then let it out as she glared at Garrett. 

“If you are going to use my title,” Queen Daisy said sharply. “Use them properly. If not, don’t bother.”

Garrett was a bit taken aback at her tone, but then he smirked, clearly amused. “Whatever you say, kid. Now, hands. The king’s not gonna wait all day.”

Queen Daisy looked back at Ward who had now lifted his gaze. Ward licked his lips and took a deep breath.

“Please, majesty,” he requested humbly. “Let us tie your hands. The king has ordered us to use force if you won’t cooperate.”

Queen Daisy drew in a short breath, but recovered quickly. Then, she nodded. 

“Very well,” she said, holding up her hands. “Ward, you do it.”

“Me?” Ward squeaked. Queen Daisy nodded and so Ward did as he was told and bound her wrists, tight enough that she couldn’t move them, but not tight enough for it to hurt. Then, all three of them went to speak to the king. 

Daisy was again stopped in the middle of the room, and Garrett and Ward stood off to the sides. 

“Good morning, Queen Daisy,” the king greeted. Daisy smiled her sweet smile, that was really held up by anger and sarcasm, but only those close to her knew its undertones. 

“I was told you missed talking to me, King Malick,” she responded. To her surprise, the king seemed amused. 

“That’s good,” he chuckled. “But not too far from the truth. Truth is, I miss seeing you in action.”

Daisy was confused. What was meant by  _ that _ ? She tensed, not liking the possible meanings of the statement that filtered through her mind.

“Excuse me?”

“I called you here today to soothe the people,” the king explained. “They’re all walking around as if they’re walking on eggshells, and there’s no livelihood.”

He sighed. “I need you to bring the livelihood back to the people.”

_ I could do that easily if you’d just leave _ , she thought to herself. But she said instead she said,

“And how would you propose I do that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said with a wave of his hand. “They’re your people. Do what you always do to make them happy.”

Daisy smiled sardonically. “And here I thought you said they were your people.”

Garrett’s sword was out in a second, Ward stepping between him and Daisy faster. 

“Peace!” the king commanded. Both his men fell back, and Daisy let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “And you, madam, were the one who said they were just my prisoners. Whoever’s right doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that I want them back in their usual livelihood. Garrett and Ward will be with you to make sure you don’t stir up any trouble. Otherwise, you’re in charge. Get to it.”

The king dismissed the three of them, and they all left, stopping in the hallway.

“Untie me,” Queen Daisy instructed. Ward did this immediately. “Now, come.”

“Where are we going?” Ward asked, falling in on her right side.

“To the people,” Queen Daisy answered simply. “I can’t very well comfort them from my bedroom.”

The two men walked beside her without question, until they reached the school.

“Really?” Ward questioned. “We’re starting  _ here _ ?”

“Don’t question it,” Queen Daisy said sternly. “Children are the trunk of livelihood. The sturdier the trunk, the healthier the tree.”

The two men didn’t question any further and Queen Daisy waltzed right through the school to the assembly hall, where she knew the children would be at this moment. She paused outside.

“You two, wait at the door. I don’t need to you scaring the children.”

Ward and Garrett did as they were told and Queen Daisy entered the hall. All heads turned to her. 

“Queen Daisy!” the principal exclaimed, bowing. “Welcome! What brings you here?”

“I do apologise for the interruption,” she said. “I have come to offer consolation after yesterday’s events.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than she felt a tug at her dress. She looked down and saw one of the first years, a five-year-old girl, looking up at her. She knelt down to the girl’s height.

“Is everything gonna be okay?” she asked. “My mama is scared and dada’s trying to be brave, but I think he’s scared too, and I’m scared.”

All around the hall, a murmur of agreement resounded. The little girl looked as if she were about to cry. Queen Daisy scooped her up and held her close. She didn’t know quite what to say. She didn’t know that everything would be alright, and she couldn’t very well lie to her people. But she was supposed to comfort them, not terrify  them. 

Queen Daisy took a deep breath and began speaking slowly.

“I want to tell you everything will be okay, but I can’t because I don’t know if its going to be.” The little girl’s chin trembled. “ _ But _ what I do know is that we can still be happy. You want to know why?”

The little girl nodded, sucking her thumb. “I know that we can still be happy because we’re all alive. You still have your mama and dada, and all your friends are still here, and you can still go to school and learn lots of stuff.”

“And we still have our crops!” an older boy called out.

“And our stray dogs!”

“And our pigs!”

“And freshly baked bread every day!”

“And playtime!”

“And the sweets shop!”

“And the library!”

Queen Daisy smiled, standing and addressing the whole school. “That’s right! We still have all those things, and so we have reason to be thankful! And so we have reason to smile!”

A cheer erupted, and once it had died down, a seventh year stood up. 

“But, majesty, pardon me for asking, but what about tomorrow? We don’t know what we’ll have tomorrow. We don’t know who’s going to die and who’s going to live. We don’t know what the king might do.”

“All the more reason to be thankful and happy, child,” Queen Daisy answered, putting the first year girl down. “We never know what tomorrow holds. And in a world like this where there are dangers around us all the time, it’s especially fearful to think of tomorrow. That’s why we have to think of  _ today _ and be grateful for what we have  _ today _ . A life lived in fear is no life at all.

“Yes, everything could be gone tomorrow, but what worth would it ever hold if we didn’t take the time to be grateful for it today?”

The seventh year nodded slowly in understanding, smiled at her, and then sat back down. A moment of silence passed, before the principal spoke again. 

“Thank you, my queen,” she said with another bow. “Your words and presence have brought us much needed comfort.”

Queen Daisy smiled at them, bid them farewell, and then went off to bring merriment to the rest of the city. By the time the school day finished, she had finished her task, and was feeling in a much greater spirit than she had been yesterday. 

She smiled her first genuine smile since this whole mess had started as they headed back to the castle. Once back there, she was promptly taken back to her room and shut in. She didn’t stop to sit down, but instead went straight onto the balcony, looking out over the city again. 

She must have done some good, as the city was now bustling with livelihood. Children were running through the streets once again. The dogs were scampering around, as happy as ever, and the adults were chatting happily amongst themselves.

Daisy let out a contented sigh as she watched. She loved seeing her people happy, for she loved her people. She jumped a little as a little sparrow came to rest on her balcony. Her smile dropped from her face and she gasped as an idea suddenly came to mind. 

She knew how to save her kingdom. 

She ran back inside and sat down at her desk. Checking over her shoulder that no one was coming in, she quietly unlocked her drawer and pulled out some parchment and her quill, and hurriedly scribbled out a letter; she didn’t know how long she’d be alone. 

She’d just managed to sign her name at the bottom when she heard the lock click open. Hurriedly, she placed her letter into the drawer, closing it and then scrawled a few messy lines onto the new sheet of parchment. 

“No, no, no,” she heard Ward mutter from behind her, putting a tray down. In the next second, she found that he had ripped the quill from her hand. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Drawing,” she answered simply. “Drawing is a hobby of mine. Relax, Ward, I’m trying to draw a bird, not a magical map to transport me out of here.”

Ward scowled at her, and then his expression softened. “My apologies, majesty. The king has warned us to be wary of you and your activities.”

Daisy said nothing, only turned back to her work. Ward took that as his cue to leave. It was only after the lock had been clicked shut did Daisy allow the relief to wash over her. That had been too close.

Carefully, she opened her drawer and pulled the letter back out, drying it as quickly as she could. Then, when she was satisfied it was fully dry, she rolled it up, and sealed it with a bit of candle wax. Then, she took three pieces of string, tied the ends around the letter, and then joined them together with a big knot in the centre.

She went back outside and whistled for one of the eagles. It sounded enough like a bird call to humans for Malick’s men to not be suspicious, but to birds, it was clear that it was a human call. 

A minute later, the eagle Yerniv perched herself on the queen’s balcony. Queen Daisy acted like she was feeding the eagle, as she laid out some of her dinner meat for the bird, but really, she was tying the letter around Yerniv’s foot.

“Yerniv, take this to King Philip of Trikinaj as fast as you can,” she commanded. Yerniv squawked in understanding, knowing that she couldn’t talk as long as king Malick was around. Queen Daisy then acted as if she were shooing the eagle away, as if she were upset that her dinner was being eaten, and Yerniv flew off.

“Godspeed, Yerniv,” Queen Daisy whispered to her friend as she watched Yerniv fly away. Then she went back inside to eat her dinner.


	4. King Philip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yerniv delivers Queen Daisy's message to King Philip

**_Two days later..._ **

In King Philip’s opinion, today was the perfect day for a picnic. The sun was shining, the breeze was pleasant, and there was no urgent business to attend to. Yes, it was perfect.

What made it even more perfect was his wife, Queen Melinda, laying on her back next to him, her hand intertwined with his. 

“You have the most beautiful smile,” Phil murmured. Melinda bit her lip shyly and her smile grew wider.

“You’re such a sap, Phil,” she said softly. His grin was that of a lovesick fool.

“Yeah, but you love it,” he teased, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Yeah, I do,” she admitted, squeezing his hand back. She then turned her head to look at the sky. “It’s such a nice day for a picnic.”

Phil hummed in agreement, closing his eyes and allowing himself to soak up the entirety of it all. They popped open at the sound of a voice a few feet off.

“Excuse me, your majesties.”

Both the king and queen sat up and turned to the right where the voice had come from. They quickly found the source of the noise: an eagle. 

“Who are you, eagle?” Queen Melinda asked. The eagle bowed its head in respect.

“I beseech you, my queen,” the eagle said in between pants. “My name is Yerniv. I’ve been sent with an urgent message from Queen Daisy from Catador. My deepest apologies for interrupting you on your day off.”

“Approach, Yerniv,” King Philip said at once. The eagle came forward and bowed as Phil retrieved the message. While he read it, Queen Melinda offered Yerniv a drink.

“You must be thirsty,” she sympathised. “It seems you were flying at top speed.”

“Indeed I was, your majesty,” the eagle replied after eagerly drinking up all the water poured for her. “It was a matter of utmost importance. Thank you for your kindness.”

The queen reached out and stroked the eagle’s head as King Philip leapt up. 

“Pirates and storms!” he exclaimed. “We must get back to the castle at once, madam!”

He reached down to help his wife up and together they packed up their picnic equipment onto their horses.

“What is it, sir?” Queen Melinda asked. “What matter is so urgent?”

King Philip brought the eagle up onto his horse and began riding back towards the castle, explaining to the queen as he went.

“Queen Daisy of Catador is in a most dire need of aid,” he said. “The tyrannical King Malick has seized her city and is working to take control of her whole kingdom. She has sent a message requesting our help.”

Queen Melinda said nothing in response. Instead, she spurred her horse on to go faster. They reached the castle in record time, and had their stableboy take care of their horses. Yerniv rested on the king’s arm as he marched into the castle with the queen.

“Peter,” he addressed the guard at the door. “Gather all the elders of the council, and the chief of the guard, and the generals of the army, and the ambassadors of neighbouring kingdoms. We have a matter of utmost urgency to discuss.”

“Right away, your majesty,” Peter said, hurrying off to the king’s will. King Philip went straight to the meeting room and set Yerniv down. He had the cook bring her some food.

“Rest here until it is time for the meeting. Your knowledge of the Queen Daisy’s kingdom, as well as the dire situation, will be needed.”

“I am at your disposal, my king,” the eagle said with another bow. 

Meanwhile, Queen Melinda had gone off to talk with the women of the castle. With her in the library, she had gathered her dressmaker, her maids, her scribe, and her advisor. She explained the situation to them, and all of them were more than willing to help.

“What are we do do, milady?” her dressmaker asked. 

“Whatever the king’s will be,” the queen answered. “He will be coming up with the plan, and we will be the backbone of the plan. We must wait for the king to meet with his lot.”

Fortunately for the ladies, the men were currently in council, and they were all in unison of assisting Queen Daisy and her kingdom. 

“What is the plan, my liege?” the general of the archers asked.

“Well, that depends. How many swordsmen, archers, chariots, and slingers do we have between our four kingdoms?” the king asked the ambassadors.

“Each of us has about one hundred and fifty thousand men, so that would equate to six hundred thousand, my lord,” the ambassador of Tynkil answered. King Philip nodded thoughtfully.

“Now, Yerniv, how many soldiers, chariots, slingers, and archers does King Malick have?”

“Far more than my Queen Daisy does!” the eagle squawked angrily. A pointed look from the king brought her tone down. “Apologies, my king. I would estimate he has about the same number. He does have a very large kingdom after all.”

“Very well,” the king said. “We will have to rely on both our numbers, as well as our skill.”

The king had a map of Queen Daisy’s kingdom brought in so that they could plan their attack. 

“Our plan is to drive king Malick and his men out of Queen Daisy’s kingdom. Then, hopefully, we can join a fifth kingdom to our alliance. Now…”

King Philip trailed off, looking carefully at the map. “Yerniv, can you tell me in which direction they attacked from?”

“All directions, majesty,” Yerniv said, jumping onto the table. “First, the king and three hundred of his men came straight through the gate! Sweet talked their way through too. Pah! Can you imagine! The nerve of them! After that, they had three waves of soldiers here, here, here, and here, waiting to charge at the signal.”

As she spoke, she used her claw to point at each of the points where waves of soldiers were waiting. King Philip noticed they had exploited direct paths to the weakest parts of the city and its walls. 

“Are the walls still standing?”

“Yes, my king,” Yerniv said. “They were smart enough to come through the entrances and over the walls. Saves them time rebuilding the walls of their newly conquered kingdom.”

After she said the last thing, Yervin spat in disgust. Suffice to say, she despised king Malick and all his men.

“Peace, Yerniv,” the king commanded. The eagle composed itself and bowed. “Are all the men inside the city?”

“No, my king. There are about two hundred and fifty men surrounding the city to stop anyone from escaping.” 

King Philip nodded, thinking hard. King Malick was smart, very smart indeed. Fortunately, King Philip knew a few old tricks that he knew the king would not know, that they could employ. A plan began to form in his head.

“Alright then. I do believe we have a plan.”


	5. The Rebellion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people of Catador get into a bit of a mess, but Queen Daisy is able to fix the situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warning:** brief violence

**_The next day..._ **

It had been three days since she’d sent Yervin off, and Daisy hoped her eagle had made it, and that the King Philip and Queen Melinda were developing a plan to get her and her people out of this bad situation. 

It had been a boring two days. The king hadn’t requested her presence since he asked her to boost morale, and she’d gone through all the books in her room. About a half hour ago she’d sent a request to the king - through Garrett and Ward of course - to allow her to go to the library and pick out a few more books. 

She was waiting to hear back. She put the finishing touches on the bird she’d began drawing on the day that she’d written the letter, and then put her quill down. Her picture looked just like Yervin. She smiled to herself. The eagle would love this. 

Her head turned as the door opened and Ward stepped in. 

“The king has said that you may go to the library and pick out some more books.”

“Oh thank heavens,” Daisy sighed, pleased to be getting out of her room for even a moment. There was only so many times she could pace back and forth to stretch her legs. She got up and went with Ward to the library. He agreed to wait at the table in the room, to give her a bit of breathing space. 

The library only had two shelves. They were massive shelves that hugged the circular walls and stretched across half the room. Each shelf started and stopped where doors were. There was one door on the east side of the library that led out into the rest of the castle, and the other one was on the west side, that led out to the balcony which looked out over the crops and further out, the forest. 

The table was on the north side of the library, and given the room’s shape, Ward could always see Daisy. Given the room’s size, Daisy could go as far away as she needed from Ward, and of course, she went straight to the south side of the library. There, she looked at all the books, and considered which she wanted to read. 

She was about to pick out her first one when Garrett entered, going straight for her. Queen Daisy drew back as Garrett grabbed her arm roughly. 

“Garrett, what are you doing?” Ward shouted at him, grabbing Garrett’s arm to try and pry him off the queen. 

“King Malick wants to talk to her again,” he growled. His tone made Queen Daisy’s heart skip a beat, but still she kept her composure. “And my, oh my, is he angry! Come now, lass.”

“I would appreciate it if you treated me with respect,” Queen Daisy said as she was marched off to the king. 

“Trust me, that’s the least of your worries right now,” Garrett said, taking her past the throne room and outside. Queen Daisy became nervous. Not meeting in the throne room was unusual, and usually, nothing good came from unusual. 

Queen Daisy gasped as the reason for her summoning became evident. There, in the streets, the king’s men were restraining her own people who were shouting at him as his men, fighting to break their lines. Up on a platform was the king himself with five of her people on their knees, hands bound behind their backs. 

Garrett stopped her in front of the platform, but didn’t let go of her arm.

“King Malick, what is the meaning of all this?” Queen Daisy demanded. 

“Your people have rebelled, madam,” the king answered. “I am quenching their rebellion.” 

Although Daisy didn’t know why they would rebel - she thought her comforting words a few days before had been enough - she defended her people.

“Sir, you said you wanted livelihood,” Queen Daisy reasoned. “This is them at the height of their livelihood.”

“I didn’t want you to get them riled up like this,” the king bellowed, reaching out and striking her cheek. She stumbled, held up only by Ward and Garrett gripping her arms. Fear rushed through her blood. This was bad. Very bad, indeed. 

Still, she knew she had to remain calm if she was to save her people. So, she took a deep breath and looked back at him.

“I did not intend for them to get them stirred up, sir,” Queen Daisy said. “I did only as you said. I said no words of rebellion.”

“She speaks the truth, sire,” Ward said. “I was there the whole time. She did only what you said.”

“Please, sir, if you would allow me to simply speak to my people,” Queen Daisy requested. “I’m sure I can restore peace.”

“You had better hope so,” the king grumbled, waving her up onto the platform. “Otherwise the faun is the first to go.”

Garrett and Ward, upon the king’s instruction, let go of the queen’s arms. She held one hand up to quiet her people. As always, her hand brought a hush over the crowd. 

“Good people of Catador,” she addressed them. “Why do you rebel like this?”

“He’s a tyrant!” a voice called out from the crowd. Soon, the voice was joined by hundreds more.

“He’s a coward!”

“He has no place as our king!”

“He’s taking away our freedom!”

“We will not be silenced!”

The last shout turned into a chant, and again Queen Daisy held her hand up. The crowd once again fell silent.

“Now is not the time for a coup d'etat!” the queen said. “Now, more than ever, when you have a tyrant ruling over you, is to seek peace! There’s enough violence as is! Don’t make more!” 

“But, my queen!” one voice called out. “He’s a bloody tyrant! His language is violence! If we have to speak it, so be it!”

Another roar erupted from the crowd, and Queen Daisy held up her hand once again. They quieted.

“No, nobody is to speak his language,” she declared. “It’s time that  _ he _ learnt  _ our _ language: the language of peace! And how is he to learn our tongue if we speak only his tongue?”

The crowd said nothing, only continued to listen. 

“You almost lost five of your friends today,” she said, motioning to the king’s prisoners on the platform. “Simply because you were too quick to action. What if these five had been innocent children caught at the wrong place at the wrong time? Less doing, more being. Consider the price of your actions before you act.”

No one moved for a long moment, then, one by one, the crowd began falling back, returning to their homes. Queen Daisy turned to the king. 

“Let these creatures go, sir,” she said. 

“I think not, madam,” the king said. “They have committed open treason and that is punishable by death.”

“This is true,” the queen admitted. “But I do think that they have learnt their lesson and ought to be spared.”

“Come now, sire, she’s trying to make you soft,” Garrett said. Queen Daisy glared at him.

“This is none of your concern, Garrett,” she said so sharply that Garrett’s voice and smile disappeared completely, and he stood silent from thereon. She turned back to the king, and could tell that he agreed with Garrett.

“Sir, if you really do believe that sparing them would be soft, then perhaps don’t,” the queen said. The prisoners let out a collective ‘what’ and Daisy hushes them with her hand. “Not entirely, I mean. Don’t kill them, but perhaps let them off with a beating or whipping.”

The king nodded, motioning to some of his soldiers. “The queen makes an excellent point. I will give them this one chance to learn their lesson, and spare their lives. Whip them, men. Bear in mind, you prisoners, that I will not be as generous next time.”

Queen Daisy stood still as the prisoners were marched off to be whipped. Then the king turned to her. 

“Queen Daisy, my sincerest thanks for calming the crowd,” he said. “I do not like to spill blood unless necessary.”

He then waved his hand, and Garrett grabbed her arm again, causing her to remember something she’d been meaning to ask. She pulled against him to make him stop.

“King Malick?”

“Yes, madam?”

“While we are here, there is a small issue I must bring up with you.”

“Do tell me,” the king said, turning to her. “Since you have saved us from a potentially violent situation, I do owe it to you to hear your complaint.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said. “My issue is with Garrett here. He has been nothing but disrespectful to me since you have captured the city, and I was hoping you might be able to do something to change that.”

“Disrespectful? In what way?”

“He has mocked me, sir. Some of his names have included ‘kid’, ‘lass’, and ‘queeny’. Additionally, when he bows, he exaggerates it. When he says my proper titles, he says it with mockery in his voice.”

“Stupid girl,” Garrett hissed in her ear. She winced as he gripped her arm tighter. 

“Just now, sir, he has called me a ‘stupid girl’,” the queen finished. The king looked at Garrett.

“Is this true, Garrett?”

“No, no, your maj-”

“Yes, it is, sire,” Ward interjected. “All she says is true.”

Garrett glared at Ward, and the king glared at Garrett. 

“Garrett, you are hereby relieved of your duties guarding Queen Daisy,” the king declared. “Unhand her.”

“But, sire, she is our prisoner,” Garrett protested in a poor attempt to defend himself.

“Yes, but she is still a queen,” the king said, coming inches from Garrett’s face. “And she will still be treated as such. Unhand her now.”

Garrett begrudgingly did as he was told, and yanked his hand off her arm roughly. Queen Daisy let out a small grunt of pain and her opposite hand went up to where he’d had her and rubbed gently. She was definitely going to have a bruise there, to complement the one that was probably forming on her face from being struck. 

“Kara,” the king called, and over came the only woman King Malick seemed to have with him.

“Yes, sire?” she asked. 

“Go with Ward here and escort the queen back to her quarters.”

“Right away, your majesty.”

She stepped up, and gently pushed Queen Daisy’s arm with her shoulder, to prompt her to start walking, which the queen did. 

Once safely inside her bedroom Daisy allowed for herself to finally be scared about everything that had happened out there. She sat down on her bed, breathing deeply. 

She really hoped King Coulson and Queen Melinda had a plan and were coming to rescue her and her kingdom soon.


	6. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrong is made right, and King Philip and Queen Melinda set out to rescue Daisy

**_The next day..._ **

About an hour after the riot the previous day, the king allowed Daisy to go back to the library and finish choosing some books. She’d picked out five titles, not knowing how long King Philip and Queen Melinda were going to be in their rescue mission.

Presently, Daisy’s reading was interrupted by Kara. 

“The king has allowed you to have a visitor today,” she said. “As long as I remain present.”

Daisy didn’t acknowledge the second half of what she was saying, as the saw a very sore Worbil coming towards her, his tail between his legs. She got down on the ground and opened her arms for him. 

He crawled into them and leaned against her breast, and she embraced him as gently as she could. Nothing was said for a long while, and they just enjoyed each other. At last, it was Worbil who broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, my queen,” he apologised in a small voice. 

“Yes, you ought to be,” Daisy scolded gently. “It was a foolish thing you got involved with yesterday.”

“I was a stupid, stupid faun,” said mournfully, his ears drooping. He took a deep breath and then added, “I came here today to make right what I did wrong yesterday.”

“Oh my brave little faun,” Daisy murmured, scratching behind her ears. “I think the lines on your back are punishment enough.”

“How gracious you are,” he sobbed. “I ought to have my tail chopped off. I not only rebelled against the king (which I am only half sorry for), but also against you, who told us to simply be thankful. Oh, I’m such a stupid faun.”

“No, no,” Daisy soothed, rocking him gently. “You just let your impulse get the better of you. You just need to learn a bit of self control. You also need to trust me to take care of you at this time.”

“Oh I do, I do,” Worbil said, his tears subsiding. “I trust you with my life. I suppose I just forgot that trust yesterday. It was perfectly exciting, marching with the angry mob.”

Daisy couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure it was. But you’d do well to stay away from all that. I was lucky today, being able to get the king to let you off with a flogging. I doubt I’d be so lucky next time.”

“Too right you are, as always,” Worbil sighed, adjusting his head. “What message shall I take back to the people?”

“Tell them to trust me to take care of them,” Daisy answered at once. “Tell them to trust that I can keep them safe, if only they keep out of trouble.”

“I shall tell them, my queen,” Worbil agreed, pulling himself up gingerly. Daisy helped him to his feet. He then bent in a bow, and kissed her hand which he’d caught in his own. “Best of luck to you on this end, my most gracious queen.”

“Goodbye, Worbil. I’ll hopefully see you soon, in better circumstances.”

“Me too, Queen Daisy,” he agreed, before turning and leaving. Kara closed the door behind him as Daisy got up. 

“What exactly did you mean by ‘I’ll take care of them’?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

“I simply meant,” Queen Daisy said. “That though I, too, am a prisoner, I am at equal status to the king, and so can influence his decisions, and thereby ensure the wellbeing of my people. You don’t have to assume the worst of me, Kara.”

Kara smiled. “My apologies, madam. It is my job to guard you, and therefore be suspicious of your actions. I do hope you understand.”

“Yes, I do,” Queen Daisy said. “I’m sure the king would be proud of you for doing such a good job. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m up to the exciting part of my book.”

Kara nodded, and left. In reality, however, Daisy was  _ not _ up to the exciting part of her book. The book she had chosen was, in fact, quite boring. But at least it passed time while she waited for rescue.

 

**_Meanwhile…_ **

King Philip watched as the first and third battlegroup marched out the back gate, and the second battlegroup moved towards the front gate. They were probably named with the directions on a compass, but the king was horrible at gates. So he just called them the front and back gates. 

The first battlegroup were taking the two hours’ walk up to Incastia, and there they would board a series of small boats to sail through the channels and out to the ocean, where a ship was waiting. Then, they would sail southward along the eastern coast, and then loop around and sail along the south coast, stopping just before they reached the west coast. There, they would march three hours to the edge of the forest and wait. 

Yes, it was the longer way round to Catador, but they couldn’t risk being seen by King Malick and his men. Surprise was a key element in this attack. 

The second, third and fourth battlegroups were riding straight down to Catador. It was about a three-day journey, two and a half if they pushed themselves. But the king had urged them to take the three-day journey; he didn’t want them worn out before the battle even began.

To Catador’s south was a thick wood which separated the city from the southern coast. Battlegroups one and three would hide in the woods until the time of battle. King Malick’s men feared the wood, believing all sorts of tall tales of ghosts and whatnot, and so they knew it would be perfectly safe, minus the occasional watchman passing, but they could take care of him easily.

To Catador’s north, the direction they were coming from, was a river that separated the city from the kingdoms up north, flowing from the mountains about a five-day’s journey northeast of the city. The river flowed westwards into the western sea. 

For this reason, unless the king and his men moved to the far east and found a shallow point of crossing, which would take an extra day, they would have to either use the bridge or figure out some other way to go across. The bridge was too risky, and so the king had mapped out a place and strategy for crossing. 

Battlegroups two and four would be coming directly from the north and crossing over the river. But they weren’t coming until a bit later, for to the north of Catador, there is no forest covering, so King Malick could spot them minutes before they stormed the city.

This was the reason for battlegroups one and three going first. Their job was to draw out King Malick’s soldiers, into the woods, and kill them. That way, the king and his men would become even more fearful of the ghosts in the wood, and not suspect anything else. By the time they had investigated, enough men would have disappeared that an attack would be easier due to the increased numbers on King Philip’s side. 

Then, battlegroups one and three would draw King Malick’s soldiers out of the city, to avoid civilian casualties, by creating ghost-like situations outside the walls. That way, Malick would send the men outside to protect the city, and more men could be eliminated.

Then, when all the soldiers were out of the city, battlegroups two and four could attack, rushing over the hill and down towards the city. The soldiers wouldn’t have time to warn the king.

Then, inside, to take care of the king and any remaining men, Queen Melinda and the ladies of Trikinaj would fly in on the backs of Griffins, that Yerniv had summoned, and defeat King Malick from inside. They were the fifth battlegroup.

That was the plan at least. King Philip could only hoped it all worked out.

“You’re nervous,” Melinda said quietly from beside him. It wasn’t a question. Phil nodded. 

“I know I’ve been in plenty of battles like this one, but this time feels different,” he admitted. He felt Melinda reach out and place a comforting hand on his own.

“That’s because Daisy is involved. I know how much you care about her.”

“She’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a daughter,” Phil sighed, feeling as if he might cry. Melinda squeezed his hand in understanding.

“For what its worth, the days you spent with her, she considered you as a father,” Melinda said. “She still does.”

“How do you know?”

“She wouldn’t have reached out to us if she didn’t.”

King Philip nodded, suddenly never having been so sure of anything, aside from how he loved Daisy, in his life. 

“Thank you, Mel,” he said softly. She gave his hand another squeeze, and together, they watched the battlegroups leave.


	7. The Ghost Attacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts have supposedly started eliminating King Malick's men, but Queen Daisy knows better

**_8 days later..._ **

Nothing more had happened since the riot, which Daisy was grateful for. She didn’t want to be called out on account of her people getting themselves into another tight spot.

She had spent the past three days reading the books she’d picked out, and was getting exceedingly bored. While reading was fun, too much of it became boring. Like anything else, Daisy thought, it had to be done in moderation.

She sighed and dropped the book on the floor, stared at it for about a second before the door flew open, and Kara peered in. She stared back at Kara, who, once deciding she was fine, closed the door again.

Daisy let out a noise somewhere between a whine and a groan. She was so insanely bored, and she itched to do _something_. Anything, really. The cheeky part of her wanted to create mischief, but she knew it would bring no good.

Unless...no that idea wouldn’t work. The king was far too busy for silly little games. She knew this on account of having been a queen herself. Life was far to full of duties to attend to to bother with childish games.

Still, there had to be something she could do to keep herself occupied. She sat up and looked around the room. Upon finding nothing, she let out a long exhale and dropped her head again, and it thumped against the wooden part of the couch.

_Ouch._

Kara opened the door again, and Daisy didn’t bother turning to face her, until she spoke.

“TIme to get up, Queen Daisy,” she said.

“Let me guess, King Malick wishes to have an audience with me,” she half-grumbled, standing to her feet.

“Yep,” Kara said shortly, aiding Queen Daisy as she stumbled a bit, as the blood rushed back into her legs. But she regained her composure and left her room, Kara and Ward walking beside her. They both fell to the sides as she stopped in the middle of the throne room.

“What is it you wish to consult me about today, King Malick?” Queen Daisy asked, her voice slightly chipped from the weariness that had developed from her boredom. When he looked up at her, that weariness fell away as she looked into the face of a man who was terrified. The king’s face was looking a bit pale, and his eyes were agitated.

“King Malick?”

“How much do you know of the woods along the southern border of Catador?” he asked.

“I know that it’s a thick wood,” Queen Daisy said. “Though it doesn’t spread that fear width-wise. I’ve been through there plenty of times, and I daresay that I know the paths quite well.”

“Not about the layout of the woods,” he said, thumping his fist against the arm of the throne. “I want to know about what’s _inside_ the woods.”

Queen Daisy stood a moment, searching his face for the specific answer he wanted. She had to bite back a smile when she saw what he was so concerned about.

“You want to know about the ghosts,” she stated. He nodded. Daisy licked her lips, debating whether to set him at ease, or whether to lie to him for fun. She decided to be civil and go with the former option.

“I can assure you, sir, there are no ghosts in the woods,” she said. He shook his head and stood, pacing back and forth.

“They can’t be. Several thousand of my men have been found dead in the woods this morning. Although, some appear to have been dead for several days. There was nobody else there. It must have been ghosts.”

It was at this moment that a distant memory Daisy had from when she was a child, came to the front of her mind.

 

* * *

 

_“Phil, are there ghosts in the woods like everyone says?” Daisy asked. Phil laughed and shook his head at the eight-year-old_

_“No. There have never been any ghosts there. Ghosts hang around in graveyards, not woods.”_

_“But why?”_

_“Well, because there are enough wild animals there already,” Phil explained. “The ghosts know that the scary things have to be spread out, and so are where not many scary things are.”_

_Daisy’s mouth formed the shape of an ‘o’, before she babbled on. “But then why do people think that ghosts live in the woods?”_

_“Well,” Phil said, hoisting the little girl onto his lap. “The story I’m about to tell you is a true story, something that happened many of hundreds of years ago. Your ancestors, the ones who conquered this land, had to defeat a very big army in order to gain possession of this land. They had only a small number on them, so they couldn’t carry out a direct attack; they’d have been wiped out in a matter of hours._

_“So, what they did instead was come up the southern coast, and through the woods, and hid there. Then, as the night watchmen passed by the forest, they attacked, just one man at a time, dragging him into the forest, and killing him. Then, they’d leave his body there for the others to discover. Then they’d hide._

_“This happened so frequently that people began to believe that there were ghosts in the wood. They had no other explanation as to how those men died. And so they fled, and your ancestors came and lived here. The story of the wood ghosts has been passed down through many generations, and so that’s why so many people believe it.”_

_“But we don’t,” Daisy said, shaking her head._

_“No, we don’t,” Phil agreed. “Because we know what actually happened. The true story has been passed on through as many generations as the story of the wood ghosts has.”_

_Daisy giggled and clapped her hands. “Would the trick still work?”_

_“Oh, yes, of course,” Phil said. “I think it would even be more effective since so many more people believe in ghosts.”_

 

* * *

 

“Phil,” Daisy whispered, just barely repressing her grin. He’d come for them. He’d finally come to rescue them.

She shook her head and turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

Kara and Ward hadn’t seen her whisper his name because they were too busy comforting the king.

“What would you have _me_ do, King Malick?” Queen Daisy asked. All three turned to look at him.

“Defeat the ghosts, my good queen,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Or at least, tell me how to defeat them!”

Queen Daisy did her best to look afraid. “I-I don’t know how, King Malick.”

“But you must!” he said, stepping towards her. She stepped backwards. “You must know how to defeat them!”

“But I don’t, sir!” Queen Daisy cried. “Ask me to ride into a thousand battles, that I can do! But I have no knowledge of how to deal with the otherworldly!”

King Malick looked even paler than before, and Queen Daisy felt quite proud of herself.

“Oh, no, no, no,” he muttered, sitting back down. “If you don’t know how to defeat them, how will we ever be safe?”

“Allow me to go back to the library, sir,” Queen Daisy requested. “So that I may find a book on ghosts and therefore figure out a way to get rid of them.”

“Granted!” cried the king. “Kara, go with her!”

Queen Daisy and Kara hurried to the library, and the queen thought really hard about what to tell the king. Once there, she made a beeline for the one book about ghosts that they had in the library. It was a book that her father had written for her before he died. It was a fiction novel about a princess whose kingdom was attacked by ghosts, and how she saved her kingdom.

Since it was only fiction, she knew that whatever she told King Malick wouldn’t really work. She flipped through the book to the scene where the princess defeats the ghosts and skimmed through it.

“There,” she said out loud. Kara hurried over. “All we have to do is lay out eleven pink crystals along the length of the entrance to the forest, equally spaced, and the ghosts will be gone by the next morning!”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked skeptically. “That seems a bit far fetched.”

“It’s what the book says.”

“Let me see that.” Kara snatched the novel from her hands, turning it over. “Wait. This is a fictional book!”

“It’s the only one about ghosts we have here in the library,” Queen Daisy said. “It’s our best chance. Unless, of course, you’d like to tell the king that we’ll have to consult another kingdom to get more reliable information about ghosts.”

Kara gave the book back. “Very well, then. Eleven pink crystals. I shall tell the king.”

Queen Daisy didn’t put the book back, and was promptly escorted back to her bedroom and locked in. She sat down on the couch and opened the book that she hadn’t read in years. Only then, did she allow herself to smile.

Phil was here. Rescue was only a matter of days, if not hours, away.

With that knowledge, she got lost  once again, in the world of Princess Louisa.


	8. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Philip and Queen Melinda arrive to rescue Queen Daisy, but things go sideways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warning:** violence, mentions of death

**_The very next day…._ **

Daisy awoke to the sound of the clashing of swords. Her eyes widened with the realisation of what was happening, and she bolted upright. She hurried to put on her favourite battle dress (a simple blue dress with a leg slit and a little bit of lovely black and golden embroidery on the lower half, done by the dwarfs) and did her hair.

Phil was here, and she knew that put her at instant danger when he and his soldiers stormed the city. She was sure that Malick would use her as a hostage, so she had to be wearing a dress she could fight in. 

Her usual sword had been taken off her when King Malick had captured the city a week ago. But, fortunately for her, she always had one hidden under mattress, along with a spare dagger, for emergencies, to be used only in her time of greatest need. She figured that its use was needed now more than ever. So, she pulled it out, admiring it a moment. The sunlight streaming in the window bounced off it, and she smiled. It was beautiful.

She jumped when she heard the lock click open, and she slid across the room and pressed her back against the wall right next to the door. It was then that she spied her belt and scabbard hanging in her wardrobe. She’d have to grab that before she left.

The door opened and Kara stepped in. Queen Daisy held her breath. 

“Queen Daisy?” Kara asked, putting her breakfast tray down. “Queen Daisy are you here?”

She waited until Kara had come closer before she grabbed her in a choke hold, and quietly held until she lost consciousness.

“Right here, Kara,” she whispered as she lay Kara down on the ground. 

“Kara?” Ward’s voice came from outside. “Everything okay in there?”

Oh, dear. She’d forgotten about Ward right outside. No matter, he’d be easy to dispose of, too. She dragged Kara to the side and waited until Ward entered. She debated whether to kill him, or simply render him unconscious like Kara. She picked the latter option; such a good fit for a servant would be a shame to waste.

* * *

Ward entered about sixty seconds later, looking around for both Kara and Queen Daisy, and finding neither. He went a little deeper in, searching, but still found nothing. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head, before he fell down. He tried to turn over to see the source of the pain, but everything went black before he could.

* * *

Queen Daisy took a few minutes to bind both Kara and Ward with some of her old dresses that she’d kept. She didn’t have any rope, so she’d had to improvise. She also improvised gags for the two - some pillow cases. The gags were just in case they woke up before she was done fighting. 

After this, she sat down and ate breakfast. Yes, she had to go and fight, but it would be no use fighting on an empty stomach. Better to be a bit late and have plenty of energy, than to be early and faint halfway through due to hunger. 

After finishing her breakfast, Queen Daisy got up and left her room. She closed and locked the door behind her, and snuck down the hallway, killing any guards she encountered. She didn’t know whether Phil was in the castle yet, but either way, Queen Daisy saw no reason she couldn’t help. 

She rounded the corner and bumped into someone, causing them both to lose their balance. When Queen Daisy pushed herself up, she came face to face with Queen Melinda.

“Melinda!” she greeted happily, in a very girlish squeal, and threw her arms around Queen Melinda. 

“It’s good to see you, too, Daisy,” Queen Melinda greeted, returning the hug. The pair separated after a few seconds. “Nice dress.”

“Thanks,” Queen Daisy said. “I’ve been saving it for an  occasion like this.”

Queen Melinda rolled her eyes, but was smiling nonetheless. “How long have you been out of wherever he was keeping you prisoner?”

“Not very long,” Queen Daisy answered. “Only a few minutes, I think. How long have you been here?”

“We landed in the city about an hour ago, but didn’t reach the castle until about twenty minutes ago.”

That wasn’t very long, which meant they had a lot more of the castle to reclaim. 

“Where shall I go, then?” Queen Daisy asked. 

“My ladies-in-waiting are up top, fighting their way down,” Queen Melinda said. “And I started at the bottom, and am fighting my way up. It would be easier to have a partner to fight my way through this.”

Queen Daisy grinned. She remembered the days where she and Queen Melinda would team up and make mischief around the castle. Teaming up to reclaim her castle sounded like a dream come true for Queen Daisy. 

“Let’s.”

So, together, the two women fought their way up. On each floor, Queen Melinda made sure that the right rooms were reclaimed, and Queen Daisy ensured that the left rooms were reclaimed. 

The only thing Queen Daisy forgot is that the throne room was on the left side of the hallway. But she didn’t worry too much, she knew King Malick would have fled for his life, the moment the castle was stormed. 

There were a fair few soldiers hiding in the throne room, but Queen Daisy had no trouble killing them all. She was extremely skilled at combat, having endured almost thirteen years of training, and numerous battles. The soldiers dropped like flies, and Queen Daisy had just lobbed off the head of those hiding before the throne when a strong arm snaked around her shoulders and held her tight. In the next second, she the cool metal of a dagger resting against her throat.

“Drop your sword, kid,” Garrett’s voice said. “Or this dagger goes straight through your neck.”

Queen Daisy took a few deep breaths and reluctantly let go of her sword. She hadn’t come this far just to be killed now. She listened as it clattered against the marble floor behind the throne. 

“There we go. Now, we go for a walk. Nice and easy.”

Queen Daisy had very little choice but to let him walk her out to the balcony extending from the throne room. She could hear the sounds of battle, but couldn’t see them, as Garrett had her chin tilted backwards against his shoulder, held there by the blade of the dagger.

She could feel Garrett searching for someone, and she felt his smile when he saw who he was looking for. 

Quick as a flash, the pressure from her shoulders was gone, and her arm was twisted behind her back instead. In the time it had taken Garrett to find the person he was looking for, Queen Daisy had managed to wrap her hand around her own dagger, and in that second, she slid her dagger from its scabbard and swung backwards, plunging the blade into Garrett’s side. 

He fell with a loud cry of pain and Queen Daisy whirled out his grasp. As he landed, she grabbed his dagger and plunged it through his heart. She smiled victoriously as she drew her dagger out of his side, wiped it against her his pants, and slid it back into its scabbard. It felt good to know that Garrett was dead. 

She hurried across the room to retrieve her sword, when a feminine voice came from behind her. 

“I wouldn’t pick that up if I were you,” she said. Queen Daisy raised her sword and turned to face the person the voice belonged to. 

It turned out that it belonged to a girl, about her own age, wearing a dress decorated with flower patterns. With her, she had Worbil, knife to his nape. The poor little faun was trying to brave, but his legs were trembling so that his knees almost knocked together.

“Let him go,” Queen Daisy commanded. The girl in the floral dress simply smiled. 

“I would, Queen Daisy, except, I don’t bow to your will,” she said with a shrug. 

“Whose will do you bow to, then?” 

The girl sighed. “No one in particular. It changes from time to time.” 

“So, you’re a nomad then?” Queen Daisy questioned. 

“Of sorts,” the girl answered. “Now, I’d love to let your little faun friend go. He is an adorable one. But I’ll need you in place of him.”

Queen Daisy swallowed, and slowly, but without hesitation, laid her sword down on the ground.

“D-Don’t, majesty,” Worbil said, trying to be brave. But Queen Daisy didn’t listen to him. She’d already made up her mind. 

“Your dagger, too,” the girl prompted. Queen Daisy did as she was told, and laid her dagger down next to her sword. “Excellent. Now, come to me. Not too fast.”

When Queen Daisy reached the girl, Worbil was thrown onto the floor, and the girl took hold of Queen Daisy instead. Her arm was held tightly behind her back, and she was made to walk, out of the throne room, and down towards the entrance of the castle.

“Queen Daisy!” Worbil called out after her.

“Find King Philip and Queen Melinda,” Queen Daisy called over her shoulder. Then she addressed the girl. “What’s your name?”

“You can call me Raina,” the girl said. “And as for where I’m taking you - don’t give me that look, I know you were about to ask it - I’m taking you to my current master.”

Queen Daisy said nothing more, for there was nothing more to be said, and allowed herself to be marched, not out of the entrance, but out of the back door of the castle, to the courtyard. It was empty, everyone else fighting outside in the city, or in the castle. 

The only person the courtyard was King Malick. It was clever, really, that he flee to the one place where he knew no one else was going to bother hiding, or fighting. 

“You’re loyal to King  _ Malick _ ?” Queen Daisy spat. Behind her, the girl just chuckled. 

“He keeps me safe. What else can I ask for?” Then, addressing the king, she said, “Here she is, my lord.”

Queen Daisy instinctively tried to pull back as the king moved towards her. But Raina, though a small girl, had a strong grip. 

“Thank you, Raina.”

‘You’re welcome, sire,” Raina said, letting go of Queen Daisy and stepping back with a bow. She then turned and left, closing the door behind her. In the second that she watched the door close, King Malick struck her so hard she lost her balance. 

Before she could roll out of the way, the king placed his boot on her chest, preventing her from moving. She took a few deep breaths. 

“Why?”

“You called King Philip and his men over here,” the king stated, striking her again. His hits were strong, and her vision had already become blurry. He hit her again. She coughed twice. He punched her. She felt as if her whole face were on fire, and she tried to get herself to move, but her body didn’t respond to her brain’s commands. She felt the king remove his foot from where it held her down. 

He began to prowl around her, the same way a hungry lion might circle a little lamb trapped in a rosebush. 

“I’m most likely going to die when they find me out here,” he said. “But if I don’t get to rule this kingdom, neither should you.”

“This,” Queen Daisy wheezed out, coughing again. “This kingdom doesn’t belong to you.”

“Nor does it belong to you any longer,” King Malick spat, striking her again. She was finding it hard to breathe now. She knew that the next punch would likely be the one that killed her, and that she was defenseless to do anything. 

Queen Daisy drew in a breath, ready to die as he raised his fist.

 

* * *

 

_ “Daddy,” Daisy asked. “What’s it like to die?” _

_ King Cal looked shocked at the question. Why would such a question be coming from a four year old? _

_ “Why do you ask, Daisy?” _

_ “I hears Trinkin and Linet saying about the war,” she answered. “What’s it like to die, Daddy?” _

_ “Well,” the king answered, scooping his daughter up onto his lap, he made a mental note to talk to those centaurs later. “No one really knows. Some think it will be scary. Some think it won’t be a big deal. I think it’ll be like vanishing into nothing.” _

_ “Nothing’s scary, Daddy,” Daisy said, burying her head in his shoulder. _

_ “Yes, it can be,” Cal agreed. “But the way I see it, if you’ve lived your life as best you could, there’s no reason to be scared. The Nothing will be kind to you, I like to think.” _

_ “Are you scared to die, Daddy?” Daisy asked, looking at him in the eye. _

_ “Honestly, yes,” he admitted. “But I’m not scared for myself. I’m scared for you. All my life, I’ve protected you, and the thought of leaving you alone in this world scares me.” _

_ “Is okay, Daddy,” Daisy instantly soothed. “Mommy teach me how to protect me. You no have to be scared.” _

 

* * *

 

Queen Daisy now understood how her father felt. She feared not for herself, but for her people. For Worbil. For Trinkin, and Linet, and Driblin, and Marfid, and Yerniv. She feared for her kingdom, and the people in it. She only hoped that King Philip would have the sense to take command and protect her people.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the final punch, but it never came. Instead, gentle hands lifted her head off the ground. She slowly peeled open her eyes and broke out into a grin when she saw who was holding her head.

“Phil,” she croaked. 

“Hello, Daisy,” he greeted, his eyes full of tears. “You gave me quite a fright.”

“I apologise,” she said, letting out a long breath of relief. She tried to get up, but Phil stopped her.

“You’re injured. We have to get you to the medical bay so the mice can heal you.”

Daisy didn’t bother protesting as strong arms, that weren’t Phil’s (he was way too old and weak to carry her) carried her inside to the medical bay. Her eyes fluttered shut before she could see who it was who carried her. 


	9. What Happened to Ward and Kara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Daisy's family come to visit, and she passes her judgement on Ward and Kara

**_A few hours later…_ **

Daisy opened her eyes to find that she could only see out of one of them. She reached up to touch the eye she couldn’t see out of, and found that there was soft cotton there.

“Don’t touch that!” one of the mice tsked, slapping her hand away from her eye. “It needs time to heal.”

“Don’t you think I’ve been hit enough today?” Daisy joked. 

“Yes, I recognise that you are the queen,” the mouse said, busying itself with wetting a cloth. “But it is for that very reason that I must take all appropriate measures to ensure that you do  _ not _ touch your eye so that it has a chance to heal. Good day, majesty.”

With that, the mouse scampered away, and Daisy allowed herself to smile. It was good to know she could still have a laugh after coming so close to death. Her good eye turned to the door as she heard footsteps. Her smile grew when she saw that it was Worbil.

“Worbil!”

“Oh, my dear queen!” he cried joyously, throwing himself onto her in a big hug. “How frightened I was for your safety!”

Daisy chuckled, scratching him behind his ears. “I’m okay, Worbil. You may rest easy now.”

The faun sighed happily, resting its head on her shoulder. “It’s very nice to have you back, Queen Daisy. I shall look forward to when you are seated again on your throne.”

“Yes, I look forward to it, too,” Daisy agreed. She looked up again when more footsteps entered. These guests were Phil, Melinda, her adopted brothers Fitz, Hunter and Mack, and her adopted sisters, Bobbi, Elena and Jemma.

She smiled at them, realising that Mack must have carried her inside. 

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen all of you,” Daisy said. Her brothers and sisters took turns kissing her forehead in greeting, and they stayed and talked for a few moments, before Phil and Melinda said they had to go and let her rest. They’d taken a sulky Worbil with them to let her rest.

But she didn’t mind. The promise of being seated on her throne once again was enough to put her at ease enough to sleep.

 

_**The next day...** _

The next day, Queen Daisy’s wounds were being rebandaged, when King Philip entered. The mice on duty shooed him back, insisting he wait to see the queen after she had been taken care of. The thing about mice is that they really do not like to be interrupted while they’re working. 

After she was bandaged, King Philip was ushered in. Queen Daisy smiled at him. 

“Good to see you again, my king.”

“Likewise, my fair queen,” he said, bowing to kiss her hand. “I have come to visit today along with Ward and Kara, for you to pass judgement on.”

“Very good,” she said with a nod. “Bring them in, please.”

A moment later, Ward and Kara appeared before her bed, hands and feet shackled. In the time it took them to enter, King Philip had helped the queen to sit up. Both Ward and Kara appeared timid; neither of them were looking at the queen, but rather at the bedsheets and their shoes, and Kara was chewing on her bottom lip, and Ward was unnaturally still. 

“Look at me, both of you,” Queen Daisy commanded. Neither Ward nor Kara dared disobey, and they met her gaze. For a long moment, nothing was spoken. It was Kara who mustered up the courage to speak.

“What is your judgement, majesty?” Her voice was meek and quiet, like a erroneous child asking what their punishment would be. 

“In the hours I have been awake, I have given great thought to your fate,” Queen Daisy asked. “And after much consideration, I have decided I shall let you choose your own fates.”

“Beg pardon, majesty?” Ward asked, clearly surprised by her answer. 

“Peace, Ward,” the queen commanded. “You have two options. The first of which is to suffer the same fate as your former king.”

At this, both prisoners looked away. A quick word from Queen Daisy brought their eyes back to hers.

“The second of your choices is to serve me for as long as you might live. The decision is yours to make.”

Ward and Kara glanced at each other, considering which they would rather. After about two minutes of thinking, Ward stepped forward to announce his choice.

“Queen Daisy, you are a most merciful queen,” he said, bowing low. “I am most grateful to you for such an extension of your grace. I shall be most honoured to serve you as long as I live.”

Queen Daisy smiled at him as he straightened his back. “Very good choice, Ward. What say you, Kara? Do you choose to serve, as well, or submit yourself to death?”

“If it please your majesty,” she answered. “I would be much happier serving you than I would be dead. I choose service.”

“Very good,” Queen Daisy said. “I shall be happy making use of your talents once I have healed. Now, Vint, do please send for Trinkin and Marfid so that they may escort the prisoners down to the dungeons until their service is to commence.”

“Right away, majesty,” the mouse said, scampering from the room to fulfil the queen’s wishes. Shortly thereafter, Kara and Ward were removed from the medical bay and taken to the dungeons. King Philip helped Queen Daisy lay back down.

“You should rest, Daisy,” he said softly. She simply nodded in response.

“Thanks you, Phil,” she whispered as he pulled the blanket over her. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Now, sleep.”


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Daisy is given back her kingdom and celebrations ensue.

A few days later, Daisy was released from the medical bay, with two very good eyes. She was wearing her very best dress - a lovely purple dress with simple, yet elegant black embroidery and sleeves with that flared out - and had her hair done in curls. It was a very special day today, and so she wanted to look her best.

Today was the day she officially reclaimed her throne. She was to parade around the city, then return to the castle, be re-crowned by King Philip, and then take her seat on the throne. 

“Ready to go, Lola?” she asked her Stallion, petting her mane. The horse whinnied and Queen Daisy smiled. 

“You named her Lola?” King Philip asked from the steps leading down to the stables. Queen Daisy smiled at him. 

“I thought you might be pleased with the name choice.”

The two shared a laugh before Queen Daisy mounted Lola and rode off to travel around the city. As she rode through the city, everyone everywhere came out to greet her with smiles, cheers, ‘long live the queen’s’, gifts, and pets to Lola’s side. She graciously accepted all of these, and smiled back at her people. 

It felt really good to be able to call them her people freely. 

Her people trailed behind her as she continued her journey, and when she arrived back at the castle, they all followed her inside. She walked past the people who had come straight to the castle, rather than following behind, through the cheers and up to the steps to the throne, where King Philip was waiting. 

Her stomach turned over inside of her, but it felt like the good kind of scared, and so she smiled, rather than frowned. Once standing right in front of King Philip, Worbil came forward, holding the pillow upon which her crown rested. Queen Daisy got down onto one knee, bowing her head.

“Good people of Catador,” King Philip said once a hush had fallen over the room. “Today is a great celebration. For today, I give you back your rightful ruler. I give you Queen Daisy of Catador.”

Queen Daisy quietly drew in a short breath as she felt the familiar weight of her crown being placed atop her head once more. When she felt King Philip step back, she rose to her feet, took a step forward, turned to face her people, and sat down on her throne once again.

“Long live Queen Daisy!” King Philip shouted.

“Long live Queen Daisy!” the crowd echoed, cheering once more. Queen Daisy smiled the biggest smile she had ever smiled as she looked out over her people. 

“Let the music begin!” King Philip declared, and immediately, the musical creatures began to play their instruments. The whole hall burst out in merry chatter and dance. Queen Daisy rose to join the dancing.

“My most gracious queen,” Worbil said from beside her. “May I have the first dance?”

“Of course, my dear little faun,” she said, taking his hand and moving out to the dance floor. Once dancing, she laughed. It was the kind of laugh that bubbles up from deep inside of you and bubbles over your lips like a fountain. It’s the kind of laugh that you can’t hold back. It’s the kind of laugh when you’re so full of joy that you simply  _ must _ express it somehow. 

She danced with the faun, with the centaurs, with her family, and with anyone else who wanted to dance. At one point, she found herself in King Philip’s arms, and he wasted no time in discussing business with her.

“I’m aware that this is a celebration,” he said. “But I suppose there’s no better time to ask. Would you care to join our alliance? Currently, it consists of four kingdoms, and we would love to have a fifth.”

“What exactly do you mean?” Queen Daisy asked with a twirl.

“I mean that, since we’re an alliance, we help each, especially during times of need. We provide each other with resources, trade, soldiers, and many other things. Do you think you’d like be a part of out alliance?”

“You do realise that an alliance was the very thing the late King Malick offered me right before he seized the city, yes?” Queen Daisy pointed out.

King Philip laughed. “Yes. But I promise you we are being honest, unlike him. We will not capture you.”

Daisy laughed, too, as she twirled. Then, facing the king again, she said, “Well, given recent events, I think that would be a wonderful idea.”

“Excellent.” 

And with that, King Philip twirled away, and Queen Daisy found herself in the arms of a dryad before she really had time to process what had happened. But for now, it didn’t matter, she decided. Now was a time for celebration. Now was a time to be thankful for all that had happened; to be thankful that all that was.

And so the kind and gracious Queen Daisy celebrated with her people long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. That's that. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If any of you have suggestions for scenes or events that you want to see written in this universe, I will see what I can do about writing them.


End file.
